The azeotrope-like compositions of this invention are excellent defluxing solvents for circuit boards used in the electronics industry. Such circuit boards normally consist of a glass fiber reinforced plate of electrically resistant plastic having electrical connectors on one side thereof. The connectors are thin flat strips of conductive metal, usually copper, which serve to interconnect the electronic components attached to the opposite side of the circuit board. The electrical integrity of the contacts between the connectors and the components is assured by soldering.
Current industrial processes of soldering circuit boards involve coating the entire circuit side of the board with a flux and thereafter passing the coated side of the board through molten solder. The flux cleans the conductive metal parts and promotes adhesion of the solder. The preferred fluxes consist for the most part of rosin used alone or with activating additives such as an amine hydrochloride, trimethylamine hydrochloride, or oxalic acid derivative.
After soldering, which thermally degrades part of the rosin, the flux is removed from the board by means of an organic solvent. Many of the solvents suggested for this application attack the organic materials from which circuit boards are often made, and other solvents are undesirable because of their degree of flammability and toxicity.
One suggested solvent for cleaning circuit boards is 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane, which is nonflammable, low in toxicity, and nonaggressive. To increase the flux-dissolving ability of trichlorotrifluoroethane, it has been suggested to mix more-active solvents therewith. More-active solvents include lower alcohols such as methanol which, however, in combination with trichlorotrifluoroethane may (undesirably) attack reactive metals such as zinc and aluminum, as well as certain aluminum alloys and chromate coatings that may be employed in circuit board assemblies. In this respect, methanol is the most aggressive of the common alcohols, and is not used in contact with these metals.
The solvent compositions of this invention possess the advantages of trichlorotrifluoroethane/methanol combinations but without the disadvantage of aggressiveness toward the reactive metals noted above. The subject compositions are not suitable for use with more-reactive metals such as the alkaline earths and the alkalis. These metals normally are not found on printed circuit boards.
Use of nitromethane to prevent metal attack by trichlorotrifluoroethane mixtures with other alcohols is known. Use of these mixtures to deflux circuit boards is known. These mixtures cannot be used at the boil where cleaning power and economy are much better, because the solvent can change in composition as it is used. The compositions of this invention however are useful at the boil and give good metal protection throughout the life of the solvent.